Hey everyone! Hope you're all staying safe. I've managed to get a new job, so I'll be a bit busier. I should still keep my schedule though.
ABCSKW123-IX: I'm so happy that it's as good as you remembered! Yeah Kai is kind of an oddball here. From my earliest drafts he was always a bit of an outsider. Doesn't help I find him far harder to write than the others. I'm not going to lie, the earliest reason I removed Wu was because I don't like him. Garmadon on the other hand, I love. And will do terrible things to because I'm starting to think I'm evil. I'm so happy you're enjoying Jay's arc. He is just so much fun to write. It's nice to give Zane a bit more lightness. And we can finally get Xavier perspective!
Jay, Nya, and Zane stood atop an earthy ledge, staring across yet another wasteland to Kryptarium prison. It was a strange, geometric place that filled Zane with dread.
"The snakes sure are taking their time." Jay said nervously.
"There are only four of them." Zane said mildly. "It is a long way to Kryptarium."
"Stop complaining." Nya said. Her voice was tight. "It's a miracle in itself that Skalidor agreed to help us."
Skales had introduced them to the Constrictai General a few days ago. The black Serpentine had been hesitant to help, but Skales himself had convinced him.
Nya looked back towards the prison.
"You ready to do this boys?"
"I am ready." Zane said.
Zane could sense Jay shifting from side to side.
"Wait a minute." Jay said.
They all looked at him. Zane forced down an impolite raise of an eyebrow. It was not Jay's fault Zane was impatient. Cole could be in grave danger; his life could end at any second.
"Is this a good idea?" Jay went on. "Should we be doing this? We've only been watching this place for a week. Maybe we should back off and watch for a while longer. While we have the chance."
Zane knew that Nya would want to speak, but the nerves of the situation and the risk to Cole cut loose his own tongue.
"My brother is being held here." Zane announced. "He has endured long enough and he may be lost to us at any moment. I must do this."
"Brother?" Jay repeated.
Zane could almost see Jay's wide eyed expression.
"Yes, my brother. Cole is my brother."
Zane reached out for Jay and found his shoulder.
"You are my brother too. Xavier is my brother. Nya is my sister." He said in a quiet voice. "If it were any of you trapped here, I would not hesitate to come after you. I cannot hesitate now."
Jay cleared his throat.
"Um, thanks, Zane." He mumbled.
His voice sounded tight. "Come on, then. He'd probably do the same for us."
Nya moved to the other side of Jay.
It was another twenty two minutes before the four Serpentine burst from the ground.
"The tunnel is complete." Skalidor told them in a gravelly voice. "Are you ready?"
"We're ready, Skalidor." Nya told the Serpentine General.
The general nodded and turned to his fellows.
"Go home," He hissed. "I will finish the final few feet."
The three other Constrictai saluted and dove into the ground. Skalidor beckoned Zane and his companions into the depths of the earth. It was dark, but Zane still managed to make out the shape of the bulky Constrictai ahead of them. There was silence. Zane found his thoughts running in a circle. Let Cole be alive. Let Cole be alive. Let Cole be alive. He could almost feel the same thoughts radiating from Nya. It took them more than an hour before Skalidor had them halt. He leapt up and carved his way through the earth. Light suddenly filtered down from a few yards up.
"Ready!" Skalidor's rough voice echoed down.
Zane crept along the damp earthen tunnel, the others following closely. They emerged into a short hallway of sandy stones. One end opened into cloudy sunlight.
"Good luck." Skalidor hissed.
Jay, Zane, and Nya nodded their thanks. The Constrictai plunged into the tunnel. It collapsed shut behind them. Zane shared looks with the other two. They all unsheathed their weapons and waited. There was no sound.
It seemed that the Lordings had not heard them. Zane could feel them, however. Together they sidled to the outside gate.
They came out to a massive octagonal courtyard of pale orange stone surrounded by towering walls. Each lofty side had four levels with four cells each. The iron barred rooms were shrouded in shadows. Starlight filtered down from the open top as Zane studied the floors above. A few Lordings flicked into view, then scurried on.
"There are 128 cells." Zane murmured to the other two. "There seems to be Lording guards, though not many. We will have to split up."
"I hope Cole is in one of these." Nya muttered. "I'd hate to go deeper into this place."
"We can each take 42 cells with a remainder of 2." Zane said.
Jay gave him a look. Zane blinked at him.
"I suppose that is less practical in practice than it is in theory."
"Let's just guesstimate." Jay muttered.
"Guesstimate is not a real word."
"Zane, for the love of- just keep track of what you've checked."
"Good luck." Nya said.
Zane dashed to his sector, low to the ground and keeping to the shadows. A quick sweep of the bottom cells told him Cole was not there.
Zane craned his neck to judge the height of the next level. The stairs were far away and an inefficient way of going up levels. He took a few steps back before he hurled himself into the air. He dug his shuriken into the stone.
A voice in his mind very like Pixal's warned him he was being too reckless.
Cole is here. He is not lost.
Zane pulled himself up, caution thrown to the winds. Two Lordings stumbled back as he popped over the railing. They were dead before they could move. A fleeing third fell without its head.
This level again was fruitless. Zane grit his teeth and prepared to jump again. A Lording across the yard caught his eye. It was shambling towards Jay, who was preoccupied with other dark specimens.
Without thinking, Zane launched his shuriken. It tore through the air, through a few more Lordings, and into his target. Zane pulled his shuriken back even as he leapt again. He caught it at the height of his jump. He landed onto one knee and rolled forward.
Zane jerked his head around as he heard a gasp from one of the surrounding cells. He dove for the nearest one.
Empty.
So proved the next one, but the third had occupants. Three figures huddled on the ground. Zane slashed through the lock and forced the door open.
The first prisoner was a young man in red. His tense body was prepared to spring.
Zane met his golden brown eyes.
This was his fourth brother.
Zane's heart skipped a beat but he forced himself to look past him to the old man. This man was wide eyed with shock. He began to relax as recognition flashed across his green eyes.
Zane desperately threw his gaze to the last emaciated figure. Cole stared at Zane with hollow grey eyes. When their gazes met, Cole hid his face and squeezed against the wall. Zane crossed the room in a few strides and knelt in front of Cole.
"Cole," he called softly.
Cole recoiled, turning his body away and covering an ear with one hand.
The other arm was gone.
Bile rose in Zane's throat as he stared at the stub where the limb should have been.
"Go away, go away, go away." Cole chanted in a hoarse, tiny voice. "You're not real, you're not real."
A tear leaked from Cole's visible eye. Zane's own eyes burned. Zane took Cole's shoulders, steering him firmly to look at him. Cole's skin was covered in welts, bright red and tender. Cole kept his eyes lowered, avoiding Zane's.
"Cole," Zane whispered. "Brother. It is me."
Cole slowly raised his red rimmed eyes to Zane's face. Zane forced his lips into a smile, though he had rarely felt like smiling less. Cole's shoulders began shaking. Tears flooded his eyes and he buried his face in his hand.
"Please don't leave me." Cole begged.
"Of course not." Zane assured him. "Come, we will get you out of here."
Zane unsheathed his shuriken and cut the shackles around Cole's wrist.
"We will get you all out of here." Zane told the other two. "Are you able to walk?"
"Yeah." The young man said. "I think so. Garmadon?"
The old man nodded.
"More or less."
Zane moved quickly to them and disposed of their chains. The younger man staggered almost immediately to his feet. His skin was also covered with angry welts, though not nearly as many as Cole.
"I'm Kai." He said. "From what Cole told us, you must be Zane."
"Yes."
"Thanks, then." Kai said as he helped Garmadon to his feet.
Zane nodded again as he pulled Cole's arm over his shoulder.
"You must try to help me, Cole." Zane whispered to him.
He heaved Cole to his feet. Cole had managed to get his legs beneath him, though most of the weight was on Zane's shoulders.
"Come, we must hurry and get the others." Zane said.
He led them into the corridor. Almost immediately a chill ran down Zane's spine that nearly paralyzed him. From across the floor a darkness was spreading.
The Fallen.
Zane only had a second to think; the Fallen could not be allowed to get near them. Kai and Garmadon looked to Zane, terrified. Cole's grip around Zane tightened.
I will not lose Cole again!
Zane unsheathed his shuriken. He didn't need to move his hands to direct them downwards. They cut into the stone floor. As the form of the Fallen came into view the ground gave way. Kai yelled, Garmadon cursed, but Zane twisted in the air. Never before had his element leapt so readily to his fingers. Ice formed beneath and above them to seal the hole and catch their fall. He let the path slant down, carrying them safely to the ground.
Blessedly, Jay and Nya were dashing towards them. They skidded to a stop. Nya was mouthing silent words. Her gaze flicked to Kai, to Cole, and back again.
There was a flash of panic in Nya's eyes. Zane felt it too as he realized the danger here. Nya could be Kai's key. Zane glanced back at Kai. There was no spark of recognition in his gaze.
"We saw you go in the cell and guessed you'd found him." Jay said. "Why-"
Jay jerked his head up and choked. A terrible, familiar feeling settled over Zane as he followed Jay's gaze.
"Kai!" Nya yelled.
She leapt forward and shoved Kai out of the way as spears of darkness rained down on them. One of the spears carved a gash into her side. She screamed.
The Fallen landed a moment later, just a few yards away from them. He looked the same as Zane remembered, though his aura was greatly diminished.
"Zane!" He said. "I thought it was you. You're alive!"
"Yes, it seems so." Zane said.
Zane glanced back to his companions. Jay had moved to Nya's side, Kai and Garmadon were supporting Cole. Zane slowly maneuvered himself away from them to draw the Fallen's gaze.
"Cole made it sound like I had killed you." The Fallen said. "I'm glad I didn't."
He seemed hesitant as he shifted in place.
"I hope-" Zane was shocked by the unsurety and nervousness in the Fallen's voice. "I hope you can forgive me."
Zane took a step back at the words.
The Fallen had nearly killed Zane and yet was asking for forgiveness? But the look in the Fallen's eyes, it caused something deep in Zane to stir. Feelings, not quite memories, from long ago made Zane realize that he could do the impossible.
"Yes." Zane said quietly. "I forgive you."
The Fallen's countenance changed to one of relief.
"Thank you." He murmured. "Thank you."
Zane glanced back to Cole. He had managed to sit up with Kai's help and was shaking. He was scared, Zane could see it in his eyes. He suddenly knew where the welts had come from.
"But I will not forgive you for what you have done to Cole." Zane said. "You only harmed me; you have broken him."
The Fallen's face contorted.
"Broken?" He snarled. "Do you even know what it means to be broken?"
The dark aura around him flared and Zane flinched.
"Broken is spending four years being the puppet of a monster you were born to kill! Broken is having what made you, you stripped away and stolen!" The Fallen screamed. "Broken is losing your teachers, your brothers! Have them not know you and hate you for things that aren't your fault!"
Zane's heart filled with cold horror. They had been his teachers. They had taught the creature before him and had been his brother. The knowledge nearly brought him to his knees.
"I'm sorry." Zane managed.
"Then let me take your elements." The Fallen snarled. "Only then the Overlord will let me die."
Zane had no words. He had no words for the wretched creature in front of him, one that he should have loved but could only find loathing for.
"Lloyd."
Nya and Jay joined Zane. Nya leaned heavily on Jay, but she could stand.
"Now you'll use my name?" The Fallen muttered with disdain.
"You know we won't give up." Nya said.
"What, because ninja never quit?" The Fallen said in a mocking tone. "That thinking will get you killed. Everyone has to give up sometime."
His eyes dropped to the floor.
"I did." He whispered.
Zane looked to Nya.
"Nya, stop." He said. "Save your strength."
Nya ignored him and Jay shook his head.
"You still think we can stop her?" He chuckled.
"I'm sorry we left you alone for so long, Lloyd, but we're going to save you." Nya went on.
The Fallen laughed bitterly.
"How? I have you trapped here." He said. "Half of you are in no position to fight. You're mine."
The wall to their left burst open.
"What the he-" Kai was drowned out by the crumbling of rocks.
Zane coughed as dust spread througout the courtyard. Something burst through the cloud of debris. A 20 foot tall robotic suit dashed into view. It was decorated in tattered reds and golds. It wielded what looked like several Stone Army spears constructed into one. It strode forward and slashed apart the crowding Lordings. The Lordings flew into the air in a cloud of limbs and tarry blood.
The Fallen gaped. Zane caught sight of the pilot.
Silver hair, pale skin, and glowing green eyes. His jaw dropped.
"Is that Pixal?" He asked.
"Is that a samurai?" Jay stammered.
Nya grinned weakly.
"Impressive, isn't she?"
Zane kept staring. If Pixal was beautiful before, she was nearly perfect now. Jay punched his arm.
"We gotta go!" He said. "I've got Nya, have you got Cole?"
Zane shook himself and nodded. As he ran to relieve Garmadon and Kai of Cole, Jiro charged through the hole left by Pixal. He was followed by a troupe of human sized living statues in reds and blacks. The Stone Warriors rushed the Fallen, who cursed. Pixal was herding Lordings to the other end of the courtyard with enourmous swings of her weapon.
Jiro had engaged the remaining Lordings and in the chaos Zane saw their chance to escape. He heaved Cole up again, who was barely conscious. Together the group inched towards the exit hole.
Dareth, wearing an intricate old helmet, was waiting for them outside the walls with the dragons.
"Come on!" He called to them.
Dareth froze. He was fixated on something behind them. Zane turned and his stomach dropped.
The Fallen had Jiro by the neck. He held a spike of darkness to Jiro's chest.
The rest of their group had turned as well. Nya gasped and Jay went pale.
"Come back here." The Fallen ordered in a trembling voice. "And I'll let him go."
No one moved.
"Come back!" The Fallen said again.
Cole's breath had quickened and eyes were squeezed shut. Zane looked back to Jiro who dangled helplessly.
Zane opened his mouth to offer himself when Jiro spoke.
"They won't come back for me." He croaked.
The Fallen laughed.
"Have you met them?" He jeered. "They'd go back for a fake bird, let alone a human friend."
"No." Jiro managed. "They won't come back for a dead man."
Jiro thrust himself onto the Fallen's spike.
Zane's mind went blank. Nya screamed and Kai cursed. Zane's body moved without him realizing it. He turned around and hoisted Cole along. He called for others to run and when they crossed the breach he sealed it with ice. He helped the others onto their dragons before mounting Shard.
He had left his mind behind in the courtyard with Jiro.
Lloyd cursed as the wall of ice shot up. He dropped the body of their companion and rushed to smash the blockade. One, two, three blows and it shattered into a thousand blades. But they were gone. The dragons were high above, too high for Lloyd to reach.
He grit his teeth and turned around. Maybe he could still catch their new Samurai X. He just barely caught sight of the exo-suit launching itself over the opposite wall.
Lloyd sank to his knees. They had gotten away. Was he relieved? Deep down he thought he was. He didn't particularly enjoy what he had done to Cole and Kai.
But mostly he felt despair. Death was his only escape from this living hell. Didn't they understand that death would be the only answer for them as well? There was no defeating the Overlord. There was no victory.
Like I said above. I think I'm evil. Goodbye Jiro. I loved you. But not enough to not kill you. After a while I realized I didn't have anything for him to do in the story anymore. A lot of his role was taken by Pixal. And this scene popped into my head.
Well, wear your masks, remember to review, and have a good week!